FISH AND THE FLINT CHRONICLES
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Reggie Williams 
Flint Sports Legend and Hall of Fame Inductee, Dartmouth University's Greatest Football Player, NFL Star, Creator of Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex

June 16, 2021
Reggie Williams is one of the most impactful athletes to ever hail from Flint. That's saying quite a lot given the company that puts him in. But it’s undeniable that his journey has taken him to more places than most, athletes or otherwise. More than that, when Reggie Williams goes somewhere, he lives a footprint. A big one.

Consider the laundry list of achievements;
  • One of Flint’s greatest athlete
  • A Greater Flint Sports Hall of Fame inductee
  • The greatest player ever at one of the oldest programs in America:  Dartmouth University
  • The best linebacker in the long history of the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Two Time Super Bowl competitor
  • Sports Illustrated cover as one of the Sports Illustrated “Sportsmen of The Year”
  • Featured in a famous Leroy Neiman painting of the Super Bowl
  • Cincinnati City Councilman

But perhaps his greatest achievement was being the driving force behind the Walt Disney World, World Wide of Sports Complex, working with Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Best of all, Reggie based his vision of this innovative and world class complex on Flint and his experiences with the Flint Community Schools athletic program, the Flint Olympian and CANUSA Games and Atwood Stadium.

The Disney Complex redefined the sports complex business in America. Before Reggie and Disney’s creation there were only TWO multipart complexes in the entire United States. Today there are hundreds of them. To make it happen Disney committed nearly a quarter of a billion, at the time the most corporate funds ever allocated to a project led by a black American.

Today it’s known as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The NBA continued its season in the complex ‘Bubble’ last year, and thousands of athletes and fans have utilized it since conception. Reggie estimates it’s worth at a billion dollars. The ROI (return on investment) on Reggie's initial investment was over 500%. Not too shabby. In fact, it’s world class. And so is Reggie Williams. His success is in many ways,  Flint’s success. His achievements mirror the community that he sprung from. Forward thinking, tough and above all--resilient.

Not surprisingly, that’s the title of his new autobiography, “Resilient By Nature”, which walks readers through his story, and how he lived it. In this episode, Reggie gives us a glimpse in to his life's voyage. It’s a Hall of Fame conversation with one of Flint’s Finest!
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Fish with Reggie at the Genesee County Historical Society 2022 Heritage Day Dinner; Reggie received the 2022 and FIRST GCHS History Maker Award

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Reggie sharing some of his great stories

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Reggie Williams, best linebacker to have ever played for the Cincinnati Bengals

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Reggie...Flint Southwestern Colt!

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Reggie, in the early stages with Disney execs planning the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex; Disney photo
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Reggie's book, "Resilient by Nature"

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And then there was this...; photo courtesy of Reggie's book, "Resilient By Nature"

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President Reagan gets to meet Reggie; photo courtesy of Reggie's book, "Resilient By Nature"

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Intensity

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On the cover of Sports Illustrated

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Reggie (left) with Bishop Desmond Tutu (far right); photo courtesy of Reggie's book, "Resilient By Nature"
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